The Path Followed
by Element-Chaos
Summary: Naruto and Gaara both run away from their villages on the same night at the same age.What happens when these two meet up?What happens if they both make their own plans for a new world?What happens if there is a force opposing them? Naruto/FemGaara/OC
1. Chapter 1

Prologue: The Conjoining Paths

"Please, leave me alone…" a red headed girl whimpered quietly as she backed slowly into a dark alley. In front of her were two men, big and muscular, each of them holding a wooden club. Their faces were covered by masks as though they thought that their attempt on the poor girl's life would actually bring punishment from the Kazekage upon them. The girl stumbled as her foot struck a lose piece of garbage and she toppled landing on her rear, her hands thrown behind her to hold herself up. Her red hair hung on her head wildly, covering her bright green emerald eyes. Around her eyes were black rings showing that the girl didn't sleep much and when she did; she had no real peaceful rest.

"Finally, we are going to do what should have been done a long time ago. You were a mistake, a monster born through its mothers sacrifice but your time in this realm is over; go back to hell!" the man on the left said with disgust as he took a step forward so that he was directly in front of the poor girl who had tears brimming in her eyes. He raised the club above his head and with a grunt he brought it down with as much force as he could. The girl threw her hand up on reflex shielding her face from the blow and closing her eyes in the process.

_Smack!_

The man gritted his teeth as he found his club fighting against an unmovable wall of sand. The red headed girl, waiting for the blow opened her eyes slowly as a tear drop dripped off her chin and hit the sand slowly. As soon as the drop of sadness hit the dry grains of the ground the wall of sand exploded and a dozen large spikes of sand shot outward. The girl's eyes went wide as the man who had tried to kill her jerked for a quick second before he fell limp on the sand spikes. The girl stared at him before her mouth opened slightly and a breath of terror escaped her lips.

The dead man's partner seeing the death of his friend took a step closer to her in shock and anger but he couldn't take a second for when he placed his foot down the sand beneath him began o swirl and it started to creep up his body while at the same time he began to sink downwards. The man struggled for a second before he turned to the girl with eyes open in fear and hate.

"Y-you little fucking d-demon brat! Release me n- gah!" The man couldn't finish his demand because the sand that had been creeping up his body slowly suddenly shot up and around his neck and poured into his mouth. The red headed girl watched in terror as the man's eyes bugged out and he began to thrash as he suddenly found himself buried up to his shoulders in the quick sand beneath him. The red headed girl stood to her feet, her legs shaking from the grotesque events she was witnessing. She slowly walked around the man and his eyes followed her until suddenly, she found herself looking at nothing more than a small rippling pool of sand and then after a few seconds even that became still.

"Why? Why must you all come after me?" the girl whispered as she wiped tears from her eyes again. She turned and ran from the alley, leaving what she had done behind her. Her legs carried her farther and farther from the scene of death until finally she found herself standing in front of the exit to the village. She was panting slightly and her hands were on her knees as she looked at the large clearing between the two rock faces. It was a small trip to get out of the village and she knew that not many guards would be on watch now since any bandits or enemies wouldn't try to attack the city in the desert in the middle of the night.

The girl looked over her shoulder at the place that she, reluctantly, called home for the past 10 years. Was she really prepared to leave it behind and try to do things on her own?

"Fuck yeah." She muttered and dashed out of the village. October 10th was the night that Gāra ran away from Sunagakure , it was also the most dreaded night of the year for one certain boy in a different boy.

XxXxX

A blonde boy dashed down an empty road breathing lightly as he jumped over an upturned trash can. He hit the ground and planted his feet firmly causing him to slide forward where he turned sharply to his right and continued running. Behind him he could hear the angry shouts of a mob that was chasing him; not for the first time. As he ran further he found himself standing at a crossroad; he could go left, right, or continue straight ahead. The boy turned and he saw the walls behind him slowly being lit up by the distant glow of torches. He dashed to his left and started running down the road.

"Why do they keep chasing me?" The boy asked himself sadly. This was almost like a festival for the citizens of Konohagakure; even though they did it every now and then, he found that every day on his birthday they would chase him and beat him ruthlessly. Sometimes he almost wished he would just die already so he wouldn't have to endure the pain anymore. The boy whimpered sadly and closed his eyes, denying the tears, which were brimming; any chance to escape. He continued running until he made a fatal mistake. As he came to another cross road he didn't realize that the path ahead of him wasn't a road; instead it was a alley way. He didn't realize his mistake until it was too late.

"There he is!" a sudden voice screamed and the boy whirled around quickly and found himself staring at an ever growing mob of people with a variety of weapons and torches. They were all glaring at him with hate filled eyes and he cringed under the looks.

"Please… leave me alone." He whispered as he backed further into the alley until he felt his back collide with a cold hard wall. He stared at the people with fright as they got closer.

"You didn't leave this village alone… you die here." A man said as he stepped out of the crowd holding what appeared to be a wood cutting axe. The boy stared at them in fear and the man got closer and closer, the axe rising into the air in order to finish what had been started so many years ago.

"No!" The boy screamed as he threw his hands up at the same time the axe fell down at his head.

"_**Destroy them…show them why we are the strongest. Give into the power!"**_

BOOM!

The boy's eyes opened slowly as his hands glowed blue, but it was slowly fading away. His eyes were no longer deep ocean blue but instead they were bright neon blue and it looked as though blue was exploding out of them along with light rays. His face was blank as he stared at the mayhem he had just caused. The mob was no longer blocking his way, in fact they were now scattered around randomly. The boy walked forward as his eyes slowly dimmed and returned to their usual state. As he walked he found random bodies scattered around and his eyes showed horrification. He exited the alley and still found himself finding civilians either unconscious or dead, he didn't know, and they were holding torches that slowly dimmed or broken weapons.

"Did…did I do this?" he whispered as he continued on. The bodies stretched outward for awhile as though they were sent hurtling by some unstoppable force. The boy finally realized that he must have done this, that voice… he had heard that voice when he closed his eyes. Was that what had done this? Did that voice somehow save him from the death that was about to come? Tears brimmed in the blonde haired boy's eyes and he took off running suddenly.

_No more…_ he thought as he ran towards the village gates. He wouldn't do this anymore; he wouldn't live life in fear of everything. He would go somewhere that he would be accepted and if that failed then… then he'd do something else! The boy wiped away at the tears that had finally managed to spill over onto his face and looked up as he approached the village gates. What he was about to do would be un-reversible, not that he would be welcomed back into the village under any other conditions so it didn't really matter. In fact people would probably be happy that he left the village.

_If only I had paid more attention at the academy… I'd be better off then._ Those were the thoughts of Uzumaki Naruto as he left the village he had… unfortunately called home. The blonde was 10 years old just like the red headed girl who had left her village at the same exact time that he had only, he didn't know that yet.

XxXxX

This is just for everyone's benefit so that they know how everything started. Hopefully people enjoy this story but if you haven't realized it yet this will be a Naruto x Female Gāra. Naruto does have a bloodline of the sorts. He will be smart, strong, and darkish while Gāra will be strong, smart, and not a blood lusting weirdo. This is not a Male x Male Fic, I hate those. There may be lemons in the future but I am not sure. If you want an idea of what Naruto's eyes look like I should have a link on my profile eventually if not already when I post this chapter. As for Gāra's picture I am trying to find one, so when you read about her do Not imagine her looking like she does in the Naruto universe.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1: The Four

_We are young, but we are far  
born in this world as it all falls apart  
we are strong, but we don't belong  
Born in this world as it all falls apart_

Young – Hollywood Undead

…There weren't any alarms raised, no screaming, no cries, nor were there any shouts of anger or despair. In fact all there was…was a deep sad silence as though it was only the earth, sky, and wind that mourned the pain that both children were burdened with and the path they now followed. Unknown to them both they wouldn't be alone for that long but for now they were…

XxXxX

Naruto was running down the road that led away from Konoha, the moon was shining on him making his blonde hair stand out. His eyes reflected his inner turmoil and problems he was struggling with. There were two things at war in his mind, should he go back or should he keep running? Even as he tried to think of an answer he kept on with the later of the two. The forest on either side of him was silent, the only activity it showed was the random flashes of wild creature's eyes and even those were sparse this night. Even when the animals glowing eyes appeared they made no noise at all, in fact the only noise hearable to the young blonde was the rhythmic foot falls of his feet while he ran and the gentle sound of wind nuzzling leaves, waking them from a light nap.

_Got to keep going, even if I went back they wouldn't ever forgive me! _Those were the thoughts of Naruto as he finally made up his mind. He wasn't going back not matter what, even if Konoha begged him to! Naruto set his gaze into a steely look, focusing on the ground ahead of him as he continued to run without stopping which was only possible due to his nearly inexhaustible stamina. As he ran he tore his thoughts from what had happened to him now and how he had left his village to new thoughts, much more important thoughts. Where was he going to go? What was he going to do with his life now? But more importantly he had to find out answers to certain questions such as why did Konoha hate him so much and what had happened in that alleyway? Naruto let his eyes slowly close as he remember the look of the destruction caused by whatever he had done, he couldn't even remember it.

All he recalled was the one villager about to strike him and then he threw his hands up…then an explosion and then they were gone, or well scattered about was a better term. Naruto remembered the warm feeling running through his eyes, the increased vision. He had been able to pick up on the smallest details easily, they were in perfect focus, much better than his usual eyesight which was better than perfect already. He had been able to see everything with perfect clarity, the scars on villagers, the grains of dirt and sand on the ground, the cracks in the buildings that were smaller then a single strand of hair. It was incredible but it had only lasted for a few brief seconds before the eyesight vanished.

He also felt the memory of the power running through his hands come to his mind. He remembered warmth, a tingling sensation that he had never felt. Naruto slowly opened his eyes up again and brought his hands in front of him; they were no longer glowing like they had been after the events, they were normal, plain, nothing special about them. Naruto stared at them hard for a little bit longer until he snapped his gaze up and picked up his speed. He had a faint idea of where he was heading, it was just an idea but it was better than going nowhere. His plan was to head as far away from Konoha as possible, he would go to any other country if it meant escape.

XxXxX

The sand beneath Gāra's feet crunched softly as she walked forward, farther away from her village. She felt no sadness as she got farther from that hell hole she called home. The only thing she felt was anticipation for a new life, relief that she wouldn't have to deal with being called a demon any longer, but most importantly she felt happy that she had made this choice by herself and her asshole father hadn't. Gāra sighed happily and her gaze drifted upwards to the stars and she started making shapes with the white glowing dots. She did this every night but tonight was different. Tonight she was free, tonight she did it because she wanted to, tonight she wouldn't have to worry about someone trying to kill her.

Gāra long red hair hung freely and was gently blowing in the wind. Her glorious red hair hung down to her shoulders and in front of her face it was cut so that her bangs fell down in front of her eyes, covering the beautiful emeralds.. Her face was flawless and smooth, beautiful while her frame with what most women would envy in a few years. She was skinny, strong, fast, and smart. The only thing that marred her beauty were the black rings around her eyes. Gāra instinctively reached up and ran one of her creamy colored fingers under her left eye and she sighed.

Hopefully another thing that would change in the future would be the chance at peaceful sleep. Hopefully she would be able to shut her eyes without fear. Gāra sighed and dismissed the thought and wants. She wasn't going to allow sad things to knock her off her happy train right now. She was enjoying the freedom and she wasn't going to burden herself again. Gāra let out a small chuckle, and then the chuckle turned into a small giggled until finally it evolved into a beautiful and soft laugh. The red headed girl began to run through the sand and skip around throwing her hands up in the air. She did cartwheels and hand stands. When she fell she landed in the soft sand and laughed more. After awhile she felt her heavy clothes getting in the way so she jumped to her feet and pulled the robe she wore off.

Under it she wore white T-shirt and a pair of black shorts that reached her knees. She stripped her sandals off and threw them on her robe. Gaara smiled and brought her hand up and watched as the sand around the discarded attire began to swirl until finally the clothes were long gone, buried beneath the surface of the earth. Gāra then turned and looked at the way she had left the village, farther back her trails would be erased by morning but these fresh tracks she didn't want people to find. Gāra raised her hands up and flicked them gracefully and suddenly the sand began to ripple as her foot prints disappeared as did her signs of fun.

Gāra turned on her heel and left, mentally commanding the sand to continue to erase her foot prints as she walked. She turned around and found that it listened to her and she smiled. _I'm never going back!_ She thought before she looked up at her favorite star. It was a faded red and seemed to have its own little spot in space, no other star was near it. It was always visible and it was always in the same spot every night; in the south. Gāra stared at it before she closed her eyes and began to speak to it.

"Thank you Bara, I prayed that you gave me courage and you did. For you I sing in my heart…thank you my favorite star!" Gāra said cheerfully before she spun on her heel and lifted her hands to the sky. "I'll teach you father! I'll show you Temari that I am beautiful and Kankuro you will regret being such a jerk to me!" she called back to the village that lay over 5 miles away. Gāra giggled one more time before she began to run forward until she found herself sprinting towards Bara, her guider and final destination.

XxXxX

"**Raiton: Zuma no Toppū!" **(Lightning Release: Gust of Lightning)

A lone figure landed 0n his feet and slid backwards as he pushed his hands out forward towards one of his attackers. There was a light breeze until electricity crackled around the person's hands and flew outward mixing in with the breeze to create a good sized lightning storm. The figure grit his teeth as he concentrated on keeping the new jutsu, he had created only a few weeks ago and hadn't had enough time to use in the field, together. The lightning infused gust flew at the attacker and struck the surprised ninja. The person let out a small groan as their body went stiff for a few seconds before they collapsed to their knee's breathing heavily.

The figure who had used that attack cursed the weakness of the jutsu; since he had just created it he could only use it to its bare minimum. He had no time to practice with it which now meant he either could concentrate on keeping the attack together which meant little power behind it or he could amp it up with a lot of power but then the consequence's were that he could keep the jutsu together for long and/or it would hurt him when it was released. As he finished his mental thought he watched as the attacker who hadn't been hit landed next to the victim of his jutsu. The person kneeled down on one knee and rested a hand on the other person's shoulder and whispered something that he himself couldn't hear.

He watched as the injured person nodded to some unknown question and then the uninjured person stood to their feet and looked at him with a gaze full of sadness, anger, and questioning. "Why are you doing this Rei?" The person reached behind their back and pulled out a short ninja-to and held it at their side, settling into a fighting stance. All around them were trees and scattered boulders, there was no civilization or people to observe the events taking place. No one was there to see the team fighting among itself as the one known as Rei tried to leave.

The boy addressed, Rei, stared at his team mate with a look that returned his sadness. "Yori… I'm sorry. I can't stay in this village any longer! Things that happen here… the Raikage is too cruel! He just killed the last loyal dragon to Kumo Yori! Do you think that is all right?" Rei screamed at his team mate who was staring at him in shock.

"Rei, this isn't a reason to leave our village! You have people here who love you!" The one called Yori fired back as he brought the ninja-to up in front of his chest and pointed it straight out. "I'm not going to let you leave, you're my teammate and after what you've done to Yūri I can't forgive you." Yori said and dashed at Rei without warning.

"I'm not asking you to…" Rei whispered as he jumped backwards, barely avoiding the sword slash aimed at his chest. As he landed on his feet he was forced to duck low to dodge the swing aimed at his face. As he ducked he lashed out with his fist at Yori's exposed gut. He hit it but his strike didn't have a chance to do any real damage since Yori had turned as the hit connected with him; making it harmlessly roll off his side. The boy then brought his sword down on Rei's outstretched arm.

CLANG!

Rei held his arm up, the plate on his arm protector holding off Yori's blow. Rei's arm was shaking as was Yori's from the force he was applying to the blow. Rei was forced to bring his right arm around and grab his left wrist in order to re-double his strength. With a low grunt Rei threw his left arm to the side, making Yori retreat backwards for a second.

"Stop fighting! Please…" a low cry came from behind Yori, surprising the boy and making him turn around.

"Yūri? What do you mean?" Yori asked and before he could get an answer Rei interrupted him.

"I have to do this." He whispered causing Yori to turn around, cursing his stupidity of averting his attention. As the boy turned he saw Rei's foot coming around towards his face and started to react, tried to bring his sword up to stop the foot but he was to slow and Rei's foot connected with his face, sending him flying to the side where he hit the ground a rolled in the dirt before coming to a stop, still. Rei landed lightly on his feet, panting slightly as he started to feel the effects of the battle and the run from the village before he had encountered his teammates.

"Yori!" Yūri screamed as she saw her teammate go flying from Rei's final attack. "Rei why? Please just stop this!" she begged but the boy in front of her stared at her sadly before turning on his heel and dashing off into the night. Yūri cried out one last time before tears spilled from her eyes and fell onto the ground. She stared at Rei's retreating back until it disappeared into the darkness of the forest. "No…" she whispered as finally the effects of Rei's jutsu hit her and she collapsed, her vision slowly fading.

XxXxX

Rei was running, guilt weighing his soul down heavily. He didn't want to leave the village but after the Raikage's latest actions he just couldn't take it anymore. The leader of Kumo had engaged the last remaining dragon that remained loyal to their village and had killed it in battle and if that wasn't enough the man had the nerve to make a sword from the scales, bones, and claws of the glorious beast. Rei felt tears forming as he let his mask of calmness start to crack. He had spoken to the great beast many times in the past 13 years for fun or to learn. The giant blue dragon, Aoizora was her name. She had cared for him like the parent's he had no longer had.

_I'm so sorry Aoizora… I did the only things I could. _Rei thought these thoughts with extreme guilt. Before he had left the village he was still going through a deep stage of depression and in that stage he had acted brashly and had infiltrated the Raikage's home, which was a miracle and death trip itself, but he took it a step further by stealing the sword that the man had made from his dragon friend. Rei wiped the tears from his eyes as he picked up his speed, jumped up into the air, and landed on a tree branch and began to take large leaps which allowed him to travel faster, stealthier. He planned to bury the sword, the only way he could give his fallen friend a proper burial instead of burning her.

XxXxX

A lone blonde girl sat down on a rock and sighed heavily, her arms shaking from the cold. Her blue eyes slowly drifted around taking in the scenery around her for the millionth time. They found nothing new though, nothing worth mentioning, nothing that interested her. She rubbed her hands together for some quick and temporary warmth before she got to her feet slowly and began to walk again. She wore a pair of black pants that were skin tight and ran down to her ankles. On the inside was wolf fur in order to keep her warm but there were no visible bulges and the pants looked like tight leather that you could bounce a coin off of.

She wore a pair of black boots that stretched half way up her calves. Around the neck opening was white wolf fur and on the outsides of both boot necks were the Kanji for Hie (Chill). For a shirt she had on a tight white shirt that showed off her newly grown B-cup breasts. Over that she had on a black coat that had white lines running through it, making it look like ice was streaking everywhere. Its sleeves were short and only hung half way down her biceps while the coat itself barley made it to her waist and ended above her belly button. On the back was a hood with white wolf fur around the brim and there was also white fur around the holes on the sleeves and along the opening on the front of the coat and along the bottom of it. Since her coat didn't cover her arms she wore a pair of white gloves that stretched up to her elbows and around the wrists were two black metal bracelets with the Kanji for Hie on them also.

The girl walked slowly, her feet trudging through the snow that she was journeying through. She sighed yet again as she looked at how much further she had to go before she was off the mountain. She was on a journey to a nearby town so that she could take refugee there for awhile since she had nowhere else to go. As the thought entered her mind she winced as it brought up unpleasant memories.

_Fire, death, burning, abandonment, stolen, loss, hate!_

The girl clenched her fists and ran her hand through her hair, brushing it out of her eye. Her hair hung down to her back in the back while the front was cut shorter, long enough to cover her ears and barely start to hide her eyes. She had taken some long hair from behind and it hung over her shoulders and was cut so that it came down just below her breasts. Her hair was soft and a light blonde and in the long hair she had hanging in front of her she had long white streaks. She closed her eyes as the memories of what had happened only a week ago came crashing into her mind

She was sitting in her room, lying in her bed as she listen to the deep breaths of Shiro, her wolf. His head was nestled into the crook of her right arm while his right forepaw was between her breaths lightly scratching her neck with the rough pads on his paws. She could feel his body heat radiating of him onto her so she had no need to cover up with the blanket that they were laying on. She was rubbing his back with long slow strokes as her mind wandered. It was as she started her next stroke that her process was interrupted by Shiro suddenly throwing his head up and looking out the window, his yellow eyes seeing something she couldn't; his ears hearing something she should. She looked at the wolf curiously trying to find out what was wrong.

"What is it boy? She asked as Shiro let out a low growl and jumped off the bed and ran to the window, jumping up so that he could look out the window, his white fangs bared. She got to her feet and ran to the window and looked out and gasped at what she saw.

The small village she lived in was full of black tank like things and they were shooting our large balls of fire that were destroying houses left and right. Already she could see several structures of houses, that belonged to people she knew, burning; black smoke rising into the air. Shiro let out a low bark and she turned on her heel and ran to her bedroom door as she began to feel rumbling, felt her house slowly shaking. She grabbed the door handle and ripped it open and before she could step into the hall Shiro darted out and turned sharply, dashing down the stairs. She followed him and as she was half way down the stairs her house shook, not with the movement of the tanks but instead from the explosion of the fireball that just hit her house.

She was thrown down the remaining stairs and she looked up just in time to see the second floor of the house explode with fire, her room and possessions being blasted out into the hall where they ignited quickly and the fire quickly spread. She groaned as she slowly got to her feet looking at her body and finding that she had no obvious injuries besides a couple bruises. Everything seemed to be working all right so she slowly limped over to the door and grabbed her coat. She pulled it on just as she heard a loud rumbling outside her door. She gasped and quickly ran towards the back of the house where the back door was. From there her plan was to escape with Shiro and run into the forest and hope others would do the same as her.

It didn't happen like that, instead as she got halfway across her house she heard the front door kicked open and sent flying. She turned and let out a scream as a big man stepped into her house and looked around until his eyes fell upon her. As he looked at her a wicked grin slowly spread across his face, almost revealing the horrible things that would happen to her if he caught her. She began to run but he quickly dashed at her and she couldn't stop him from grabbing her around the neck and bringing her to the ground.

"Well hello there little girl, you seem lost." He said and laughed as she struggled uselessly under his weight. "Sit still you little bitch." He snarled and brought his hand up to her shirt.

"No!" she screamed as tears burned her vision. As soon as the last breath of the scream of protest left her mouth she heard a loud snarl and then the weight on her was gone. She quickly sat up and wiped away her tears and saw Shiro clawing at the man who was batting away the claws, blood running from a gouge in his forehead. He had a feral look on his face as he reached down under the large wolf and using his strength hefted the beast over him and into a wall. Shiro yelped as he hit the ground and then turned back on the man.

"Damn mutt." The man muttered as he got to his feet and pulled a metal weapon out of a pouch on his side. She watched with horror as Shiro jumped at the man, claws out and his teeth flashing. The wolf slammed into the man, his jaws locking around the man's throat. She watched as the wolf jerked its head to the side once and the man went still. Shiro limped away from the man just as the house shook and a part of the roof caved in, flaming. She ran out the door Shiro following her. She dashed across her yard and into the woods, Shiro was a little farther back and she turned around with a frantic look on her face and that's when she saw it.

Sticking out of the wolf's shoulder, in the area that his heart was, was the metal weapon the man had pulled out. She looked behind the wolf and saw that he was leaving a long trail of blood and she knew that she was about to lose her favorite companion. The wolf limped up to her and nuzzled her leg weakly and let out a sad whine. "Shiro…no." she whispered and fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around the wolfs neck and sobbed. "Please don't die!" she begged and the wolf whined more before it slowly collapsed to the ground, its breathing was deeper.

She sat there for what seemed like an eternity until finally the wolf's chest rose once more and then fell forever. She pulled away from the beast, her clothes bloody with its blood. She sobbed once more and stood to her feet and wiped the tears and snot from her face.

"I swear, I'll live for you Shiro! You gave your life for me…" she whispered and turned on her heel and left the wolf where it laid. As she ran it began to snow and cover the blood trail and the dead wolf's body.

It had been about a week since then and she was where she was now. As she had traveled she had seen a few other villages' burn and she had even encountered the army of tanks but fortunately she was never caught, she was never even detected. After awhile she made it to a town where an old women took pity on her and gave her the clothes she was wearing now along with some food and pointed her in the direction of a town she could go to for refugee.

"Oh Shiro, if only you were here." She muttered as she looked up at the clear blue sky. It was normally dull in the Land of Snow; grey clouds, no sunlight, cold and so on, but for some reason today was different. Today the sky was blue, there were no clouds, and the sun was visible only it was still cold outside. This was weather that she wasn't used to. This was the weather that Yukihana Izumi loved. This was the weather that she wished she could have had for the last 12 years of her life.

XxXxX  
3 Days Later  
XxXxX

"Order!" The Hokage roared over the sounds of many council members fighting among themselves. Hey were all there for one reason today, that one reason was one boy, that one boy was Uzumaki Naruto and what had happened a few days prior. The Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, looked around as the many debates and conversations slowly hushed until everything was deathly silent, all attention focused on him and his words he wanted to say or questions he felt needed to be asked. "We all know why we are here I hope." He said and he heard a chorus of affirmation and nods of heads. "Okay, so to inform everyone instead of relying upon rumors; On October 10th, three nights ago, ANBU members came across a mob of wounded villagers strewn about. We took all of them to a hospital and then interrogated several of them who were alright. What we found out was this; they had been chasing Uzumaki Naruto and suddenly they found themselves flying backwards when they cornered him. Since then we have been searching for Uzumaki Naruto but we have not been able to find him so I can say that it is safe to assume that he is no longer within the village walls." The Hokage finished the quick explanation and looked around at the sad, shocked, and angered faces.

As he looked around he saw someone stand and he recognized them as Hiashi Hyūga, the head of the Hyūga clan. "Hokage-sama, I first must ask if there were any deaths?" he asked the question in a neutral tone that betrayed no emotions.

The Hokage closed his eyes for a moment as he recalled all the information he had received on the wounded and he didn't recall any reports of death. "No, there were severe injuries but no deaths were recorded. We are still not sure of what injured the civilians chasing Naruto but we can tell that there was no use of any known jutsu to this village which means he didn't use a jutsu since none have been taught to him. Neither were there physical marks of engagement , only broken bones, internal damage, and damage done to villagers who had collided with inanimate objects." The Hokage answered the Hyūga head.

"I see." Hiashi said and thought on the manner for a little bit. "I recall you mentioning that Naruto was being chased by a mob, yes? So even if he were to have attacked the villagers he was, as granted by law, using self-defense and since he is not a legal Shinobi under Konoha or any other village he cannot be punished under Shinobi law." Hiashi said, not trying to tell the Hokage what he already knew but instead to inform the civilian side of the council so that they could not plot any unwanted actions or secret plans against the boy.

"Yes that is true Hiashi. That being the case we can't punish Naruto because he was using self-defense and even if he did leave the village he has free will to do so." The Hokage said and he heard low muttering and he looked around until he saw someone rise to their feet. It was a civilian who the Hokage had actually heard intelligent words leave the mouth of in the past. He believed that the man's name was Takeshi Aoimori.

"Permission to speak Hokage-sama?" he asked and after receiving a nod from the village leader he continued. "In defense of Naruto, the boy can't be punished like Hiashi-sama has already stated. Also as Hokage-sama said he is allowed to leave the village. While he is or, was in the Shinobi school he has not graduated. Even though that he is the jailer of the Kyūbi no Kitsune, he isn't restricted by Shinobi laws which means many of you may try to pry power from the clan heads but we must also realize that Naruto is not dangerous himself but the thing which he holds is the biggest threat to the world we know. That being the case we must all logically come up with away to solve this problem." Takeshi said this and there was a round of applause as the man sat down leaving the Hokage smirking slightly and many clan heads chuckling at the civilian keeping the power in balance.

"What needs to happen is this; we have to go out and find Naruto and bring him back to the village. After that we need to keep him on a shorter leash! W can't allow him, considering what is within him, to walk around freely! It's already a danger and high risk that we've taken by placing him within are Shinobi program but now that he has some minor knowledge and also the power of the greatest demon ever at his disposal he could wreck serious havoc and it will be blamed on Konoha!" a civilian exclaimed and the Hokage nodded.

"Yes that may be true but there is a reason that I have called this meeting so late after the incident. I have received letters from both Kumo and Suna informing me of two ninja who have abandoned their village around the same time that Naruto did. Gāra from Suna abandoned her village and Rei from Kumo left his village also only Rei was a ninja with the rank of Genin." The Hokage said and many of those assembled in front of him looked at him curiously. "The reason I mentioned them are because they are somewhat similar to our reasons. Gāra is the Jinchūriki of Suna but she is not a ninja. Rei has committed three crimes, he broke into and stole and object from the Raikage's house, attacked his team mates and went missing. I have asked both Hokage's to watch for Naruto also and try to bring him in. In the mean time I am asking if we should punish the civilians who brought their own injuries upon themselves or if we should allow them to continue on like this?" The Hokage asked and he saw many clan heads shaking their heads.

"I say we let them rot in a damn jail cell. If they can live with themselves after torturing a poor kid like that…" Inuzuka Tsume growled and many other agreed with her. The Hokage nodded and stood to his feet and looked at everyone with a deadly serious tone.

"No one, I repeat none is to find out about what Naruto did. I know most of the village knows about Naruto's disappearance already but they don't really know the details behind it." He said and waved his hand, dismissing the council.

XxXxX

"Hey… it seems quieter today…" a blonde girl muttered as she looked around the class. She looked over at her crush Uchiha Sasuke and smiled. "Maybe I'm just in a fairytale…" she mused but her fantasy was broken by the girl next to her speaking.

"No, you didn't hear?" she asked with wide eyes. The blonde girl looked at the other girl and cocked her head to the side with a questioning look on her face. "Uzumaki Naruto left the village!" she exclaimed and the blonde girls eyes widened as she heard the news.

"Are you serious?" she asked in disbelief. She had wished that the more annoying blonde had been gone in the past but could it be that her wish was granted?

"Yeah, he left a few days ago! Kind of sad though… it was the poor guy's birthday. Could you imagine that happening to you Ino" A sudden voice said from behind the blonde girl and she turned around and found herself looking at Inuzuka Kiba who had his arms crossed on the table in front of him and his chin was atop of his arms. His gaze was set on Ino intently and she made a thinking face.

"I don't think I can to tell the truth… but that's not as sad as what happened to Sasuke." Ino said shrugging and Kiba let out a bark of laughter. Ino looked at him in shock and he looked at her with a bored look.

"I don't really care for Naruto at all but from what my mom has told me… that guy has it worse than Sasuke did." Kiba said and Ino rolled her eyes in disbelief at the dog boy's apparent lack of knowledge of Sasuke.

"Sasuke's entire clan was murdered in one night! How could Naruto's case even compare to Sasuke losing his family?" Ino asked but it wasn't Kiba who answered her question. Instead the boy that sat next to him answered the question. Shikamaru had his head down in his arms and appeared to be sleeping but he was now looking up at Ino with a lazy look on his face.

"Well, Naruto never had a family to lose form what I hear. He was orphaned during the Kyūbi attack and had no other family to watch him. Then, if what my father said was true, he was abused and beaten at the orphanage he stayed in. After awhile the Hokage allowed him to live alone, I think he was five or so at the time. I think that beats Sasuke, yes it is sad that he lost his entire clan and is the last remaining one, but Naruto is also from a clan, only his entire home country was wiped out during the Kyūbi attack. He lost EVERYTHING in one day. His family, clan, even his homeland." Shikamaru said this and put his head down leaving Kiba, Ino, and the unknown girl to stare at him in shock.

"You were awake the entire time?" Kiba asked as he looked around with a questioning look on his face.

"How do you know so much about Naruto?" Ino asked and Shikamaru sighed and since his head was down the sigh was louder than his typical sigh.

"I read about Konoha history. We had close ties with the land of Uzugakure, in fact they were descendants of the Senjū clan. They helped us in war, they gave us ninja, and they also taught us the Fūinjutsu that our ninja know today. They are the reason that our village is so prosperous." Shikamaru said without lifting his head up. Ino stared at him and then rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, I'm still glad he's gone… I hope he's happy where ever he is." She muttered and turned around.

"I doubt he is." Kiba mumbled and put his head down like his table partner.

XxXxX

"That little bastard… thinks he can just break into my house and steal my stuff?" The Raikage shouted in anger as he slammed his fist down on his desk making it shake violently as sparks of lightning shot from his fist.

"Father please, calm yourself. Anger won't solve your problems." A buff man said. He was wearing a pair of black pants and a white robe like shirt. On his right bicep was a tattoo that looked like a shuriken. Next to the man stood a teenager with four swords on his back and he was wearing a pair of sunglasses and in his mouth was a pencil.

"Old man you just got to chill, in fact why don't you take a stress pill!" the teenager made an attempt to rap but it came out horribly wrong.

"E, shut up. You still can't rap." The Raikage said and looked at his eldest son A. "I want you to take your team out and find Rei, kill him if you have to! Just get me that damn sword back." The Raikage said gruffly as he sat back in his chair. A looked at him for a little bit before speaking again.

"Are you really ordering the death of a 13 year old boy just because he took some stupid sword from you?" A asked and his father slowly sat up and eyed him carefully. Everyone became deathly silent as father and son glared at each other without any signs on stopping.

"Hey pa, I am requesting to go away for some training. I want to gain control over the Hachibi and I was thinking about using that giant tortoise you told me about for a good area." Killer Bee suddenly said breaking the tension in the room. The Raikage looked over at his son who held a Bijū within his body and he contemplated the request. If B could gain control over the demon then Kumo would become that much stronger and he would gain more respect. Then B could train Yugito and teach her how to control her Bijū also.

"Request granted! I'll have a Jōnin escort you there. How long do you think it should take?" The Raikage asked and B laughed heartily.

"Pa, I'm talking about taming a demon here. I'm going to need some time, so how about I just send message to you when I get it done and along the way I'll send you updates." B said and the Raikage sighed in defeat but nodded. "Sounds cool man, I'm heading out then. A let's go, think my bro should hang with me before I go." He said with a half hearted rhyme.

"Knock it off Gaki." A said with a grin. As he walked out of the office he turned back and looked at his father who was now looking down upon the village. A glare crossed his face as he shut the door behind himself, someday he would replace that wicked man. But was that someday too far off?

XxXxX

"Where is she? How dare she leave us, that little demon whore!" The Kazekage sneered as he glared at his remaining son and daughter from behind his desk. "I want you to find her, kill her! No… capture her and bring her to me, I'm going to kill her once and for all." He said, his words dripping with poison.

"Yes…Kazekage-sama. We will do what you've asked." Both siblings chorused at the same time and the Kazekage chuckled evilly.

"Yes you will." He said and turned out so that he could gaze at the entire village. "Also, while you're looking for the little bitch I have received reports from Konoha that their own Jinchūriki left on the same night Gāra did. If you find him… capture hi and bring him to me, he would make a nice addition to our ranks. If you cannot do so then I want him dead, DEAD!" The Kazekage said as he returned his gaze back to his children. "Your third mission is rather simple compared to the other two. Kumo recently had a Genin defect only he stole some sword from the Raikage, he is making a fuss about it which means the sword must be special. I want you to find the brat, kill him if it makes things easier, and get me that sword."

"Yes milord." Temari said as she stood to her feet and kept her gaze on the desk. "How long can we have for these missions?" she asked and the Kazekage shrugged as a grin crossed his face.

"If you get it done within 1 month then I will purchase you both new gear. A new battle fan specially made in Iwa for you my daughter and for you my son, I will request a special custom made puppet to be built however you want. If you don't though that is fine, it's your own lose, but you can take as long as you want." The man said slyly and both siblings nodded with smiles on their face.

"Ha, got it milord. Find the bitch, the bastard, and the sword and I get a new puppet. Sounds easy enough." He said and turned on his heel and began to leave the office. "Come Temari, we have some brats to find."

"Okay…" Temari said with a hint of sadness. _Gāra, I'm sorry but you're not as good as fathers offer._

XxXxX

**Author's Notes: I was writing this chapter and got to Gāra's part and just had nothing so I began writing about Rei since I've been building him within my head for a week now along with Izumi. Then I realized that I was changing Gāra's personality so I just wrote about her experiencing freedom, being able to just cut loose and have fun for once. Also I had to include meetings with the three village leaders since they obviously wouldn't just sit down and take their weapons leaving. I've decided that I am going to spend a couple chapters building things up and then do a time skip so that I can have Gāra and Naruto be a little bit older. Just so people know this isn't going to just be a Naruto/Gāra Fic. It will most likely end up being a Naruto/Gāra/OC Fic. Don't think it's going to be Izumi right away, because I'm not sure who it's going to be yet.**

**I may start breaking chapters up so that they are about two characters and not all four all the time. But that's just a thought. I hope to have at least two of the characters meet up with each other in the next chapter. Also I will introduce my last OC for now. I'm trying to debate on what village they should come from and so far things are leaning towards Kiri. Also before any of you get surprised by later chapters, there WILL be character death. If you haven't found out from my descriptions on people or the way I've written, I like to be descriptive so battle scenes are going to be detailed, the same with gory scenes.**

**Please read and review, giving me your feedback on the story. Merry Christmas to all of you! Here is a special Christmas Special just for this story! This has nothing to do with the story plot and will give no spoilers to future chapters.**

**Operation: Saving Christmas! Naruto Style!**

"Hey guys! It's snowing!" Izumi yelled happily as she ran out the door of the house that everyone was staying in and into the yard. She laughed happily as she threw her hands up in the air and stuck her tongue out to catch the snowflakes on her tongue. After her loud words the first one to respond was Naruto who dashed out the door with a anxious look on his face.

"Oh no, what's the date today?" he asked and as soon as the question left his mouth Rei walked out and stood next to him.

"The 24th why?" he asked and Naruto chuckled nervously. The blonde looked off into the distance and scratched the back of his head. He had completely been obsessed with training and so he hadn't gotten anyone presents for Christmas and now it was tomorrow! How could he have forgotten such a thing?

"Oh nothing, I just have to go on a quick trip, meetings…" Naruto said with a bored look. Rei nodded and grinned at Izumi who was trying to catch a large snowflake on her tongue and had run into a tree.

"Nice one!" he yelled to her and everyone laughed. Everyone including Gāra who was sitting atop the roof watching the proceedings.

"Well I better get going!" Naruto said and took off running towards the road. "I'll see you all later!" he yelled and he heard everyone shout good bye and wave.

"I can't believe he doesn't want to spend today with us…" Gāra muttered and Rei nodded.

"Yeah, Izumi coked and everything." He said in response.

XxXxX

"First stop… Konoha!" Naruto said with a small amount of dread. He hated going to the village where people knew him. _It's for a good cause!_ Naruto thought as an image of Izumi appeared in his kind. Naruto took off at a dead sprint towards the village that lay 20 miles east.

XxXxX

"I…finally…made it!" he wheezed as he entered the village under a henge. He was a large fat man with white hair and a white beard. He was wearing a red suit and a red hat. He thought the disguise was appropriate for the date. He chuckled heartedly as he marched through the streets and towards the nearest general store. People were giving him awkward glances as he walked and he chuckled, why did they find this strange? He was SANTA CLAUS!

"Ho, ho, ho!" he bellowed as he entered the shop. He looked around ignoring the looks of amusement and shock that cashiers and civilians were giving him. "You young lad! Can you point me towards the art section?" he asked and a worker at the store held down a laugh and pointed behind himself.

"Yeah *snicker* down there*snicker" the man said and ran off.

Naruto clapped with delight and shuffled into the isle and began to search quickly. _Okay, she likes to paint and draw… so THERE!_ Naruto said as he quickly grabbed some paint brushes, oil pastels, and some paint. He then turned in a circle until he found a large book of painting paper. He grabbed that and piled everything into his arms. He dashed out of the isle and dropped everything in front of the cashier.

"Um, 5,000 ryo please." She said and Naruto groaned. _That's so much! _ He thought but fished the money out of his pocket.

"Here you go!" he said with a big happy smile and grabbed his purchases and dashed out of the store. He ran down the street and out of the village gates, ignoring yet more amused glances and funny faces. _To Iwa!_

XxXxX

"I…made…it….finally!" he said triumphantly and ran through streets. His large belly was bouncing up and down while on his back he had a brown sack with Izumi's presents in it. Naruto ran into a store with the kanji for Weapons over it. Rei had been complaining about his old kunai and shuriken sets lately.

Naruto looked at the owner of the store who was staring at him in shock.

"What the hell?" the man muttered and Naruto bellowed with happiness.

"Give me three sets of your finest shuriken and your finest kunai." Naruto said. In a single set of kunai or shuriken came a dozen weapons so he figured that 6 dozen of both combined should be enough, maybe. "Make that four sets of each." Naruto said and the man grunted as he placed the requested weapons on the counter.

"60,000 ryo!" the man barked and Naruto almost let the henge drop. _6-60,000! That's crazy!_ Naruto thought with a fake smile on his face while he fished out the money and paid the man.

"Have a great day lad and a Merry Christmas!" he yelled and ran out of the shop leaving the owner to stare at him with a raised eyebrow.

Naruto ran out of the village and while he ran he stuffed the weapons in his bag. _Last but not least… Kiri! I know they have what I want…_

XxXxX

"I…made…" Naruto barely wheezed out as he slowly trotted into the village. It was getting dark now and he knew he had to hurry. He ran towards a craft shop and opened the door and startled the old lady who owned the shop.

"What do you want? I was just about to close!" she almost yelled.

"Why hello young lady, I was just wondering if you happened to have any crystal creations?" he asked and the women stared at him.

"Right there." She said in a flat voice. Naruto turned and behind him was a large display case of crystal art creations. He looked around until his gaze fell upon one that really stuck out, but it wasn't crystal. In the middle of the shelf was a rose with a stem the size of his for arm and it was made entirely out of a light green emerald that seemed to reflect the light in the shop. The actual rose head was the size of his hand and Naruto could see the detail and amount of time spent on the flower. The rose head was made from a ruby that was deep red but had light red streaks within it. Naruto picked it up gently and looked at the women.

"How much ma'am?" he asked and the women chuckled.

"220-" she said and Naruto raised his hands up happily. "000 ryo" she finished and he moaned. _I only have 300 ryo left now! _He thought this while he fished out the money needed and reluctantly handed it over.

"Thanks…" he muttered and walked out of the shop.

XxXxX

Naruto was walking back to the house, snow was about two inches deep on the ground and he still had his henge up. The rose he had bought for Gāra was sealed within a scroll and in the bag so that it didn't get broken. Naruto shuffled along mourning the loss of his money when suddenly he felt something pointed at his neck.

"Give us the bag." A cold voice said and he turned and found three bandits glaring at him, one of them had their saber pointed at his throat.

"Ho…ho…fuck." He muttered and closed his eyes. "You guys, Santa's had a long day." Naruto said and the bandits chuckled.

"Like I care fat ass. Give me the bag." He said and Naruto sighed and closed his eyes.

"No."He said opening them and suddenly the bandits found themselves flying backwards as Naruto disappeared in a swirl of wind and hit them all. Naruto reappeared a few feet from them all panting heavily and sighed. "I hate my day!" he muttered and left the three bandits lying where they were as he continued his journey.

"Did we…just get…our ass's…kicked by Santa?" one bandit asked?

"Yeah…" another responded before they all fell unconscious.

XxXxX

The sun was just starting to rise when Naruto saw his home come into sight. He grinned happily as he picked up his speed and entered the front gate. He looked inside the window and saw everyone sitting in the living room laughing happily and he got an idea. Naruto crawled up onto the roof and walked over to the chimney and looked down. It was open so he jumped up on the ledge and let out a loud 'Ho, Ho, and Ho' and jumped down.

XxXxX

"What was that?" Izumi asked and Rei looked around.

"I don't know…" he muttered and he couldn't continue for suddenly there was a large boom and all three teens found themselves looking at a large man in a red suit with a sack on his back.

"Hey guys." Naruto said as he let the henge drop and he appeared with all the presents within his hands. He handed the art things to Izumi. "For you." He said and she squealed.

"Oh my god! I love it! Thank-you Naruto!" she said and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek earning a blush from the boy.

Naruto grabbed the weapons and hands them to Rei. "Here you go, the finest there are." He said and Rei looked at him in shock.

"Seriously?" he asked and opened the cases to see elegant black kunai and shuriken gleaming back at him. "Thanks man!" he said rubbing Naruto's hair wildly.

Naruto stood up and walked to Gāra who stared at him impatiently. He held out the scroll to her. "For you…" he said and released the seal showing everyone the beautiful ruby and emerald rose he had gotten.

"Oh my…Naruto…I can't believe it!" Gāra said as she slowly accepted the rose from him.

"Merry Christmas everyone!" Naruto yelled and everyone stared at him.

"Merry…what the hell are you talking about Naruto?" Rei asked and Naruto looked at him.

"Today's the 25th!" Naruto yelled and everyone shrugged.

"So, who cares?" Izumi asked and Naruto stared at her.

"But I thought it was Christmas!" Naruto said.

"Oh…crap…" Rei muttered. "Yeah, I told you it was the 24th yesterday… November 24th. Yesterday was Thanksgiving dude." Rei said chuckling.

CRASH!

Naruto fell over with a look of anger and grief on his face. _I hate my life sometimes!_

END!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2: Unknown Enemy Territory

Naruto walked at a leisurely pace, his hands stuck inside his pockets and his face tilted upwards as he watched the sunlight stream through the tree branches that hung above him. His hair framed his face, a few strands covered his eyes, and his skin glowed as a few beams of sunlight struck it. "This is the life!" the happy ten year old said with a small smirk, his eyes closing as the smirked slowly became a large grin. He took his hands out of his pocket and interlocked them behind his head as he kept walking. _Three days, three days of no beatings, harsh stares, and definitely no more mean villagers!_ The blonde thought as he let his grin slowly fall off until his mouth was only slightly curved up, his eyes now open and watching the path he was walking.

"Even with my bright idea…" Naruto muttered before looking at a rabbit that jumped on his path. His stomach growled loudly, the small furry creature looked up trying to detect where the noise came from. It was startled when it found itself staring at the drooling form of a giant with blonde hair, blue eyes, a perfect face*, and two very sharp looking canines, slightly longer than the rest of its teeth, bared. "I'm still starving…" Naruto groaned as the rabbit shot off into the underbrush that it had dared to emerge from.

Naruto's small grin slowly faded as he began to think about what he was going to do to hold himself over for food. _If anyone's up there listening! I could use some help!_ Naruto thought in his mind, not wanting to yell the request out loud. Naruto stopped walking and waited for a few moments, waiting for some type of miracle whether it is a box of food falling from the sky or a bowl of ramen appearing in front of him. He waited for a minute before his exasperated sigh escaped his lips and he continued walking.

XxXxX

"I...need…food!" Naruto moaned as he laid against a tree his hands on his roaring stomach, his head resting on his right shoulder as he stared at a small rabbit that jumped out of the underbrush that was on the underside of the brush. _I've seen that rabbit so many times now…_ The starving blonde thought sadly as he imagined a nice lunch that consisted of rabbit, specifically a white rabbit; the same rabbit that was staring at him now. Naruto's blue eyes widened as the rabbit cocked its head at him; its red eyes caught the sunlight and seemed to glow.

"You hungry mister?" the rabbit asked suddenly and Naruto yelped as he quickly shot up and pressed himself against the tree. He stared at the rabbit in utter disbelief.

"Did you just talk?" he screamed as his hands dug into the rough bark, trying to find some sort of wooden weapon. "Rabbit's _don't_ talk!" he screamed and the rabbit laughed, _laughed _at him!

"Silly, do you want some food?" the rabbit asked as it hopped forward and landed on the ground in front of Naruto. It was an extraordinary leap, that rabbit's mouth was open, a grin, and its eyes wide with delight. It small paws were stretched out and the sun made its fur sparkle. "Here, some carrots for you!" the rabbit said happily its eyes closed as a smile stretched across its furry face. "Eat-_Ahhhhh!_"

"So good!" Naruto moaned as he bit into the screaming rabbit, completely ignoring the large pile of carrots that appeared next to the small animal. "Thanks for the offer bunny!" Naruto said with delight as he ripped his head away, a sharp jerk that took a chunk of meat with it.

"_Ahhhhh! It hurts! Ahhhhh!"_ The rabbit screamed uselessly as Naruto dug into it, moaning as he filled his stomach. "Stop! _Ahhhhh!" _ The rabbit continued screaming as Naruto ate it.

"So good, but…how are you cooked already?" Naruto asked as he looked at the rabbit that was now dead. He waited for an answer before he went to take another bite of the small animal.

"What are you doing?" a sudden voice asked and reality suddenly smacked Naruto in the face.

The blonde looked up from what he was eating and found his eyes staring at a man sitting on a wagon, a horse was pulling it but it was a stand still right now. Naruto looked at the man before looking down at the _rabbit_ he was eating and groaned. In his hand was a branch that looked like it had been torn apart with an axe and the marks looked like bite marks. Naruto spit out a mouthful of wood splinters, wiping of his tongue.

"N-nothing, just making sure that the tree… is healthy." Naruto said with a small grin. The man stared at him before sighing heavily and motioning for Naruto to get up.

"Come on, hop on. I'll let you stay with me and my family tonight." The man said and Naruto stared at him hesitantly for a second before he jumped to his feet. He got to the side of the cart and jumped up as the man moved over slightly to allow him some room to sit. "So what's your name? Unless you want me to call you… Ki-taberu?" The man proposed and Naruto shook his head.

"No! My name is uh, it's not Ki-taberu! My names Kazeshio!" Naruto said happily, his grin made it seem very unlikely that he was lying about his name, even though he was. He knew that if started giving his name out now, Konoha would, with no doubt, track him down again and take him back. Even though he was young he knew this much as it was, so he was forced to lie.

The man stared at him for a second before chuckling. "My names Kaiyu, nice to meet you Kazeshio, care if I just call you Kaze?" Kaiyu asked and Naruto shrugged.

"Suits me; I think my names to long as it is. Kaze works just fine pops!" Naruto said; his white teeth shone as he grinned at the man who had found him. _Guess someone was listening!_ Naruto thought happily.

XxXxX

"So where are we heading?" Naruto asked impatiently as he stared at the sky, his eyes were feeling slightly heavy since he had been doing the same thing for the last four hours. Next to him was a half eaten loaf of bread, his fifth one now. Kaiyu had gladly supplied him with some of the man's own food after he heard Naruto's stomach growl like a rabid dog.

Kaiyu's eyes briefly flickered over towards Naruto, who was still staring at the sky and the sun which was just starting to decline from its peak. "We're heading to my village." The man said and Naruto shifted his gaze slowly from the sky to the man.

"Your village? Wait, what village?" Naruto asked curiously and the man chuckled as he whipped the horse's reins, the animal picking up the speed in response. Naruto waited for an answer and the man finally told him.

"We are going to…"

XxXxX

"This is so stupid…" a teen ninja said as he kicked a rock in front of him. "Removal from the Ninja corps for 3 _months!_" the teen hissed in anger as he slammed his foot down on the rock sending sharp shards flying forward where they embedded themselves within a larger boulder. Kōriyama Doyū had just been put on punishment for very petty reasons, reasons that only angered a few people. Doyū had been found reading a biography of his favorite ninja, his idol if you may. For that the leader of the village had been outraged and without hearing Doyū's reasoning he had kicked the boy out of the ninja corps for three months and after words he would be on probation for 6 months.

"Because I might be a _danger!_ I was only reading a damn book about the Yondaime Hokage!" Doyū grumbled as he bent over and grabbed a good sized rock off the ground, about the size of his fist. He glared at the boulder that he just destroyed and started making hand seals; the rock he had picked up was held in his hand as he made the hand seals around it, the ability to do this took some practice and also required more focus but Doyū was able to learn how to do it after practicing for years.

Tiger, Hare, Dog, Dragon, Ram, Ram, Tiger, Dog, Hare, Dragon, Rat, Tiger, Dragon, Dog…

He was in a secluded rock outcropping so he could do what he wanted for the most part without any consequences.

Doyū landed on the last hand seal and brought his hand out, allowing his chakra to flow through the outstretched limb until it pooled in his palm, the palm that held the rock. He had been practicing his clans techniques for only a couple months due t the fact that he was a late bloomer and developed his bloodline much later than usual within the clan.

"**Kōtsuton: Tsumetai Jidangan!"**

Doyū came from a very rare and weird clan, but despite the rarity and the weirdness they were one of the most powerful clans in Iwagakure. Kōriyama, the clan of the Ice Mountain, had a bloodline that was definitely not heard of in a country such as Tsuchi no Kuni. His clan was able to use the Kōtsuton style, Frozen Earth style. He had read up on his clan and found that they came from a mixture of a clan of ice users in Kirigakure and a clan of earth users in Iwa. Somehow the Bloodlines merged slowly and gave birth to the Kōriyama clan.

The rock that was in his palm shuddered briefly before it slowly turned white as frost covered it and then suddenly it blew apart, sending a hail of white rocks flying at the boulder. Doyū watched carefully as the small bullets smashed into the boulder and the effects were devastating. The bullets hit the rock and instantly froze the spots they touched which then led to the projectiles, which were traveling at high speeds, to destroy the frozen chunk of rock which left a decent sized crater. The technique was the only Kōtsuton technique he knew since he was still getting the basics down, or so his mother told him.

In the Kōriyama clan those who had inherited the ability to use the frozen earth style usually awakened their bloodline around the age of 12 to 14; Doyū had just awoken his and he was a few months past his 16th birthday. His mother had been shamed that her son wouldn't be able to continue fighting like his entire family had, she even acted like he didn't exist sometimes but after his bloodline had finally awoken she had become the perfect mother. She had begun to train her son, teaching him the only technique he knew and when she saw the results she had given up on him. She said he needed more practice before he could safely use anymore techniques and since then she hadn't really approached him about training.

Doyū scoffed as he surveyed the damage his technique had caused; yeah, he needed practice all right. He had just taken the clans C-ranked technique, one of the ones that everyone usually learned first and turned it into a deadly B-rank technique, maybe an A if he learned to control it like he wanted to. The original version of the technique only sent a large rock flying at the target and when it hit them it would freeze the area it hit while also slamming into them which only hurt them on the surface. Doyū, with the free time he had due to the lack of bloodline training, had taken the technique to new levels.

_Now I just have to take it to the next step…_ the teen thought as he stuck his hands in his pockets; they were cold. That was one of the side effects that he suffered from when he used his bloodline; where ever he focused the chakra he would chill that part of his body. Of course there were ways around that problem but he had never been taught how nor had he had the training to adjust his body to his bloodline. Doyū ignored his cold hands as he was used to them and started to survey the damaged boulder.The boy's goal was to transfer the technique from small bullets to large rocks that could easily punch straight through another larger boulder; could shatter other objects. In order to do that he had to learn how to transfer his chakra into larger boulders and all sorts of other things, he found it to be very confusing.

"I'm good for the day…" he said as he turned away from the damaged boulder and began to walk back to his clan compound. He had no other jutsu to practice since he only knew a few. He only knew a grand total of 6 jutsu, not because he had poor control, nor because he wasn't trained by his sensei. He only knew a few jutsu because Doyū was a strong believer in focusing ones attention completely on the technique being learned and he wouldn't start to learn another one until he mastered the technique he was learning and if he could, improve the technique.

His last jutsu that he was working on was Tsumetai Jidangan but he was starting to fear that improving it anymore was a lost cause, he had done all he could to master it. He didn't want to make another mistake and spend a long time on a jutsu he couldn't expand on anymore; he had done that with the jutsu he had learned before Tsumetai Jidangan, it was the Doton: Iwa Bakuhatsu technique. It involved focusing ones chakra into one fist while, with the other hand or another appendage that chakra could be focused through, was held against a rock connecting the chakra and slowly deteriorating the inner rock which would allow the user to then strike the rock making it explode outwards, sending thousands of shards flying at their opponent.

Doyū had spent five months perfecting the technique until he hit a stump that he thought he could overcome. He had made it so that he could use the technique faster, quieter, and also have the ability to control the size of the rock shards. After that he had decided that he wanted to be able to use the technique without even touching the boulder, but after several failures and wasted time he had finally found out that when he tried to focus his chakra through his feet, like he had been, he only targeted the ground around him and didn't get much chakra into the rock which then led to him hitting the rock and only shattering a small portion of it; and he usually bruised his fist and he even broke a couple knuckles once.

"Why do I have to be such a perfectionist?" he idly asked as he walked back towards town, his hands warming up inside his pockets. Little did he know that a certain shadow was following him, watching him as the Tsuchikage had ordered!

XxXxX

"Whoa, this is where you live?" Naruto asked in awe as he and Kaiyu entered Iwagakure's large gate, the large gate that showed Naruto that he had done it. He had officially left Hi no Kuni and he was now in a new part of the Elemental countries, a foreign part he had never been to before. The man chuckled slightly as he pulled on the horse's reins as they entered the village, making the horse slow to a steady trot.

"Yeah, she's a beauty isn't she?" he said as he looked upon his village with pride. The man grinned and looked at Naruto happily. "You can come and stay with me and my family for a couple weeks if you want to." He said and clamped a hand on Naruto's shoulder and squeezed it affectionately, offering the boy some support and encouragement. "Until you figure out what you're going to do." He said and Naruto nodded; a small grin on his own face.

The blonde had told him about his wild flight from Konoha, how he had left the village and was going to wander around until he found a new place to call home. The man had taken the news a lot better than most would; the idea of a 10 year old boy wandering wasn't one that really gave most adults comfort. It was probably due to the fact that Naruto already grew up with mobs chasing him and beating him; hiding in the streets and stealing to survive, that made the man accept his long term quest.

"Where do you live?" Naruto asked curiously looking around, seeing small houses that were carved into large boulders or large rock walls. He had never seen or heard of anything like this. Though there were some rock houses there were also wooden houses that were built to, probably more comfortable then solid stone houses. He glanced over at the man just in time to see him point off into the distance.

"Over on the other side of the village, we live with some of the other merchant clans; in an area slightly secluded from the other civilians. We like our privacy." Kaiyu said with a hearty laugh and Naruto laughed hesitantly, not knowing what was so funny. _I like this!_ The blond thought as he and the man laughed, attracting the attention of a few civilians and ninja alike. "I can almost smell my wife's cooking…" Kaiyu moaned as his mouth began to water. "A special slab of meat, rolled around in honey, a special herb, BBQ sauce, and a thin layer of oil… My favorite." Kaiyu said as he wiped the drool away on his face.

"That sounds so good…" Naruto whispered as his stomach growled in agreement. The blonde smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Sorry I- Whoa look out!" the small blonde shouted as he let his gaze flicker towards the road briefly. Walking in front of them was a brown haired teen that looked pretty angry and focused on other things, other things that weren't the road.

"Oy!" Kaiyu shouted as he pulled _hard_ on the horse's reins in order to stop. "Watch it!" he ordered and the teen looked up, a look of surprise crossing his face as he jumped to the side, avoiding the horse narrowly.

"Sorry!" the teen apologized with a look of disdain, not aimed towards Naruto and Kaiyu but rather aimed at himself. He was a ninja and he should have been aware of his surroundings. "Wasn't paying attention, have a lot of things on my mind." He said holding out his hand towards Kaiyu in a friendly gesture.

The man shrugged and took the boys hand and shook it firmly, and then he released it and tightened his grip on the reins. "It's okay; just make sure you don't die a painful death. Doubt you want to go down in history as the ninja who was killed in his own village by a villager and a horse!" Kaiyu jokingly said and laughed deeply, the boy laughing also at the joke. Naruto just settled for glancing off somewhere else as Kaiyu and the boy began to converse slightly.

"Ah, so you're a Kōriyama?" Kaiyu asked after Doyū told him his name. "Interesting, you don't exactly look like one." Kaiyu muttered to the boy who grunted in annoyance at his appearance.

"Yeah, I know. I should have light blue hair but for some reason… I got cursed with brown hair." The boy muttered and with a sigh he raised his hand in a farewell. "Anyways, I have to get going to the _Kōriyama's_ right now." Doyū said with a voice full of boredom and also what seemed like a small trace of apprehension.

"Well it was nice meeting you Doyū!" Kaiyu said and shook the boys hand again.

"You too." Doyū said as he pulled his hand away, and that was when his gaze flickered over to the blonde sitting in the wagon. _No way. _The boy thought and began to walk away just as Naruto turned towards him, the boys blue eyes shining. _No fucking way._

XxXxX

"There is no way in hell… that kid looked exactly like the Yondaime did…" Doyū whispered furiously to himself. He was walking quickly towards his house, he needed to read the Yondaime's biography again, and he had to find out if the man had any children. "I know all there is to know but…I never heard of him having a kid." Doyū said trying to convince himself that the boy had just inherited the Yondaime's face by luck. Doyū picked up the speed as he ran to his compound.

XxXxX

"Tsuchikage-sama! Our guards have reported a very interesting traveler entering the gates." A man said as he stared at the old man before him. The man was glaring at the wall furiously as he clenched and un-clenched his hands.

"Yes, the boy that is traveling with the merchant. I saw him enter… looks just like the Yondaime doesn't he?" the old man muttered angrily as he slammed his fist down on the table suddenly, startling the man in his office. "Go to the vault and get me the scroll that has Yondaime's blood sealed within it. I want that boy in my office in the next day, it is with the utmost concern that we find out just why he looks like our greatest enemy." The Kage said as he sat back in his chair.

"Hai Tsuchikage-sama!" the man said and quickly ran from the room to fulfill his orders.

_Yes, we will have our revenge still. _The old man said as he opened his drawer and pulled out a book that he had taken from a boy earlier, Doyū. It was the biography of the Yondaime Hokage. He opened the book up and slammed it on the desk, his hand covering the right page and as he pulled it away he revealed a picture of the Yondaime standing in front of Konoha's gates; his arms were crossed and the wind blew his cloak lightly and ruffled his hair.

"Yes, we will get revenge with that boy. Yondaime, for your sake you better hope he isn't your son." The Kage chuckled; his fingers tapping against his desk lightly as he stared at the picture of his enemy. "We shall have our revenge at last." The Tsuchikage whispered and grabbed the book in his enormous palm and proceeded to smash it together with his other hands, destroying the book.

"HAHAHA!"

XxXxX

"Itachi, I know this is a lot that I am asking from you… do you believe you can handle this?" The Hokage asked the raven haired teen in front of him, Uchiha Itachi. The teen was kneeling in front of the old man, his head bowed and his hair cascading down so that it covered his face, hiding his pale features from sight.

"Hai, Hokage-sama. I must do as I must." Itachi said vacantly and stood to his feet, his hair falling back so that it revealed his face, his Sharingan blazing. The Hokage nodded sadly, his old hands closing together as he sighed.

"Itachi, you know who is a part of this Coup; only take out the leaders…" The Hokage said and Itachi nodded hesitantly, the only emotion that the boy had truly shown that night.

"Are you sure Hokage-sama? If the Uchiha clan lives then… there can be other insolent members, those who wish to bring destruction upon the village for their own greed." Itachi said this, showing more care for his village then his clan, a true ninja.

"Then I am expecting you to make sure that such a thing doesn't happen, if you will become the clan head that is?" The Hokage asked Itachi the question hidden within the old man's statement, catching the teen off guard. Itachi's resolve faltered for a split second before he recomposed himself.

"Hai Hokage-sama, I will become the Clan head…" Itachi said with a bow. "The Uchiha clan will experience a change they have never felt since Uchiha Madara abandoned them."

XxXxX

That night Uchiha Fugaku was killed by his sons own hand, along with 15 other men who planned to take down the Sandaime Hokage and rule Konoha. That night Uchiha Itachi became the clan head of the Uchiha, confirming his position when he was forced to hold his father's head above the Uchiha ninja who tried to defend their leader, when he was forced to tell them of the crimes that the 16 men had committed in secret.

XxXxX

I hoped you enjoyed the chapter despite the fact that it's slow moving right now. Doyū is my last introduced O.C for now and I don't really plan on making anymore. I changed the events of the 'Uchiha Massacre' so that Itachi was ordered to only kill the leaders of the Coup, there for extinguishing any flames of rebellion, for now. Itachi is the clan head, and in my story all events have ripple effects; which means that this event changes a bunch of events. I can't remember that much more right now, sorry that the chapter is short; I hope that next chapter will be slightly longer.

Next Chapter will feature Gaara (I will comply with one reader's requests and stop referring to her as Gāra) and Rei. I am still trying to decide on whether or not to include Naruto in the next chapter, if you think I should just let me know.

*In this story Naruto doesn't have whisker marks. I find that they can get old after awhile and I want him to be different, hence the absence of the marks. Now, before I get flames about his whiskers I want to just remind people of one thing. Naruto doesn't really have the whiskers because of Kyūbi, it was never clarified. If you go back and read the chapter in which Naruto was born you'll see that he was born with whisker marks and that means that he had them before the Kyūbi was sealed inside him. Kishimoto never stated that the whisker marks were a side effect of Kushina holding the Kyūbi which means I can go off of my assumption that the whisker marks are just an odd birthmark, one that Naruto doesn't have in this story.


End file.
